I 15 CUSTOMER INFORMATION FROM GENERAL MOTORS I I I I I . I I . USING THIS CHART MAY HELP YOU KNOW YOUR LIMrr: First you should understand that drinking any amount of alco- hol can impair your ability to drive. The generally accepted way to mea ure intoxication is by your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). In most areas. the legal definition of intoxication is .10 per- cent BAC and above However, long before you reach .10 BAC, your judgment and motor skills deterio- rate rapidly. In fact, some states Include the definition of impaired driving ability, which usually begins at 05 percent. Important factors to keep in mind are how much you've drunk in a given period of time, how much you weigh and whether you've been eating. Your age, individual metab- olIsm and experience with drink- ing are also factors. However, it simply is not true that beer or wine is less likely to make you drunk than so-called "hard" drinks A 6-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce can of beer or llh ounces of 86- proof whiskey have abont the same amount of alcohol and will have about the same effect on you. How to estimate your Blood Alcohol Concentration. Although the effects of alcohol vary a great deal, the average effects are shown in the accompanying chart pre- pared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Find your weight in the left-hand column and then refer to the number of drinks you have had or intend to have over a two-hour period. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds and have had four beers over the first two hours you're drinking, your Blood Alcohol Con- centration would be dangerously beyond .05 percent, and your driv- ing ability would be seriously im- paired-a dangerous driving situation. Six beers in the same pe- riod would give you a BAC of over .10 percent- the level generally accepted as proof of intoxication. It is easier to get drunk than it is to get sober The effects of drinking do taper off as the alcohol passes through your body, but the drop is slow. In the example above, the person who had six beers would still have significant traces of al- cohol in his blood six hours later. have any doubts, don't drive. Even if you're not drinking, other drivers may be Your best protection is still the seat belts in your car. Accidents do happen, and wearing lap and shoulder belts doubles your chances of coming through one alive DRINKS (TWO-HOUR PERIOD) Weight Ilh 02S. 86 0 Liquor or 12 02S. Beer 100 1': 2", 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 120 1," 2, 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 140 ,.1:, 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ' , 160 r, :2':' 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 180 .1.:: :2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 200 þ. r' ' ..3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 220 1 2' ,3 ,4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 240 1 2 >3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 . .. .. ; I , I I I I I BE CAREFUL DRIVING DRIVING IMPAIRED DO NOT DRIVE SAC TO .05% .05-.09% .10% & UP Source: NHTSA The chart shows average responses. Younger people generally become impaired sooner, while older people have more vision problems at night Tests show a wide range of responses even for people of the same age and weight For some people. one drink may be too many. Having a full stomach will post - pone somewhat the effects of al- cohol, but it will not keep you from becoming drunk Black coffee, cold showers, or walking around outdoors will do nothing to make you sober. Of course, someone who claims, I'l1 be okay as soon as I get behind the wheel," may be making a fatal mis- judgment. At General Motors, we have developed a device which tests a driver's reflexes and motor re- sponses before it allows the car to start. The Department of Trans- portation is now testing it in Cali- fornia as a deterrent to repeat offenders. Today, you, the driver, have to know your limits and when you've gone beyond them. If you This advertisement is part of our continuing effort to give custom- ers useful information about their cars and trucks and the company that builds them. GM MARK OF EXCELlENCE Chevrolet · Pontiac Oldsmobile · Buick Cadillac · GMC Truck